NIU’s baker’s dozen of programs in studio art places the university in the top “50 U.S. Colleges Where Art Programs Abound,” a list touted this week by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Released earlier this summer by OnlineCollegesDatabase.org, the list spotlights “non-specialized colleges and universities across the United States (that) also offer tremendous opportunity to art students, with a variety of programs available at the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
Only fully accredited, non-profit schools that grant degrees are considered.
NIU ranks at No. 35 on the list; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is No. 50.
“The School of Art is one of the most diverse in the nation, offering a wide array of program options and the flexibility to cross boundaries in contemporary practice,” said Doug Boughton, director of the NIU School of Art.
Doug Boughton
“A high level of excellence is consistently obvious in the work of many nationally recognized alumni. The school boasts a Top 20-ranked graduate printmaking program and a burgeoning Ph.D. program, which is one of only few nationally that are offered within a school of art.”
NIU’s School of Art is one of the largest in the country, offering undergraduate, masters-level, and doctoral-level degree programs.
Art students pursuing the bachelor’s degree in studio art can choose from 13 emphases: ceramics, drawing, fibers, foundations, illustration, metals, museum studies, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, time arts and visual communication.
Students enjoy working relationships with many of the 40 outstanding faculty members, who are art world leaders maintaining significant exhibition and publication records and serving in major national and international leadership positions.
Graduates find rewarding jobs in multiple arts fields including education, graphic design, marketing, illustration, digital media, entertainment and private artistic practice.
